page_title: Namaste
section_title: Añjali Mudrā
hierarchical_section_title: Namaste / Añjali Mudrā
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Añjali Mudrā (Praṇāmāsana).
context_page_description: Namaste, sometimes spoken as namaskar and namaskaram, is a customary, non-contact form of Hindu greeting. In the contemporary era, it is found on the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and among the Indian diaspora worldwide. The gesture is widely used in the parts of Southeast Asia where Indian religions are strong. It is used as a greeting. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest. This gesture is called añjali mudrā; the standing posture incorporating it is pranamasana.
context_section_description: Añjali Mudrā (Sanskrit: अञ्जलि मुद्रा), the salutation seal, is a hand gesture associated with Indian religions, practiced throughout Southeast Asia. It is used as a sign of respect and a greeting in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia, also used among East Asian Buddhists, Taoists and Shintoists and amongst yoga practitioners and adherents of similar traditions. The gesture is incorporated into many yoga asanas, and is used for worship in many Eastern religions.
  The modern yoga pose praṇāmāsana (Sanskrit: प्रणामासन) consists of standing with the hands in añjali mudrā.
caption: Statue with hands in the most common Anjali Mudra position
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